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A Collection of Newfoundland Wills
(L) John Lannigan

Will of John Lanniganfrom Newfoundland will books volume 7 pages 462 & 463 probate year 1905

In re the Estate of John Lannigan deceased

In the name of God, Amen. This is the last will and testament of me, John Lannigan, of St. John's, Master Cooper and wharfinger.

It is my will and desire that my executor, hereinafter named and appointed, shall first pay all my just debts, and funeral and testamentary expenses.

I give, devise and bequeath to my dear wife, Sarah Lannigan all my estate consisting of lands, dwelling houses, and premises; also my shares in the floating dock, St. John's, and my shares in the Cape Broyle, Cape St. Mary's, and Cape Charles whale factories; and also all monies, goods and effects, of whatsoever nature and kind, of which I may die possessed; to have and to hold to my said wife for her sole use, behoof and benefit for and during her lifetime, and after her death whatever part of my estate may then remain shall go to those of my children in such shares and portions as she my said wife, may decide upon and set forth in any last will and testament which she may make.

It is my will and desire that my executor, hereinafter named shall pay over to his Grace the Archbishop, or the then bishop of St. John's the sum of $40.00 for the celebration of a High Mass for the repose of my soul, and I further will and desire that the sum of $60.00 shall be paid over for masses for my soul, and the souls of my father, mother and family, the said sum to be divided as follows: $40.00 to the Very Rev. Dean Ryan, and $20.00 to my nephew the Rev. John O'Rourke of the United States.

I bequeath to the Reverend Mother Superiors of the Belvedere Orphanage the sum of $25.00 towards the support of the orphan children of that institution and ask in return their prayers for my soul.

I hereby nominate and appoint my said wife, Sarah Lannigan, to be the sole executrix of this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all other and former wills that may have been made by me.

In witness whereof I have hereunto my hand set and subscribed at St. John's this twenty fifth day of August A.D. 1904. John J. Lannigan
signed by the said testator as and for his last will and testament in our presence who, in his presence, at his request, and in the presence of each other, have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses
Mary Lannigan F. J. Morris.

I certify the foregoing to be a correct copy of the last will and testament of John J. Lannigan deceased.D. M. Browning
Registrar

(Listed in the margin next to this will the following)
Fiat
April 18/05
Johnson J.
Probate granted
on the 18th
day of April
A.D. 1905
to Sarah
Lannigan
Estate sworn
at $7000.00

Note: The wills in those will books are NOT actual wills. They are hand-written copies of a, "last will and testament," written by the court clerk, after the death of the testator, when the executor presented them to the court for probate. The court clerk didn't list the signatures at the bottom, he (or she) just put them in the book in whatever order they were in, on the original document, no spacing most of the time, no punctuation. The originals were kept by the executor.

We who have typed these wills, have made every effort to include all the errors that were on the microfilm, in order to avoid destroying the integrity of the originals, where ever they may be.

Page contributed by Judy Benson and Ivy F. Benoit

REVISED BY: Ivy F. Benoit May 7, 2002

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